How Far Apart Do Cherry Trees Need to Be Located?

With proper care, a cherry tree can be grown in your own backyard.

Both sweet and tart cherry trees can grow in home gardens with proper care. Both types of cherry trees bloom in early spring and are susceptible to frost, so you should plant trees in areas that are as frost-free as possible. Before planting cherries, know your U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone since cherry tree zones vary by species; however, sweet and sour cherries are hardy in zones 5 and warmer. With proper growing conditions and spacing, you can enjoy a variety of cherries from your own backyard.

Tree Spacing

Cherry trees require proper spacing to thrive. Sweet cherry trees require a minimum spacing of 25 feet, and sour cherry trees need at least 18 feet between trees. While you can plant trees further apart, do not plant them closer than the minimum required spacing. Crowding trees can lead to pest problems. The tree spacing requirement also helps determine the planting site and tree varieties you can grow in your home landscape, so take such requirements into consideration before choosing trees and planting site.

Row Spacing

If planting several trees, spacing between rows is also important so that trees have room to grow and you can easily and safely prune trees and perform other tasks. For sweet cherry trees, space rows 30 feet apart, and for sour cherry trees space rows 24 feet apart. Sweet and sour cherries mature at different rates. So, while the spacing may seem a bit vast at first, keep in mind that standard sweet cherries grow about 40 feet in height with a 30-foot spread, while sour cherries grow about 20 feet tall and wide.

Planting Site

The planting site is important to the growth of cherry trees. The trees require good air circulation and well-drained soils. Both types of cherries are susceptible to frost, so avoid planting trees in low-lying, wet areas prone to strong winds. These areas, known as frost pockets, are susceptible to frost damage and can reduce pollination and fruiting. Areas that are located on south-facing slopes often encourage early blooming, which can lead to bloom damage, so plant later-blooming cherry varieties in these areas.

Pollination

Sweet cherry trees require cross-pollination, so you need to plant trees close enough that bees can carry pollen. Usually, planting trees within 100 feet is sufficient. You also need compatible sweet cherry tree cultivars within the tree groups. Each sour cherry tree can set fruit using its own pollen and thus is self-fruitful.

About the Author

Based in Indiana, Molly Allman holds a B.A. in professional writing. She works as both a writer and author and enjoys writing articles on many different topics. She specializes in topics concerning health, crafts, family and lifestyles. Her fiction writing appears in "Bewildering Stories," "The Other Herald" and "Spectacular Speculations."